A well-manicured lawn enhances the beauty of your home all year–especially during the warm summer months. There are several ways to keep your lawn in tip-top shape despite the continued stress from the hot sun here in Dallas. Check out our tips below to learn how to care for your lawn in the harsh summer heat!
1. Water in the early morning
When it comes to hydration, an irrigation system is your best bet. However, no matter how you water your lawn, the most efficient time of day to do so is between 5 AM and 9 AM. Turning on the sprinkler later in the day causes the water to evaporate more quickly–preventing the root system from absorbing the moisture effectively. Watering in the evening or nighttime also creates the perfect condition for disease activity, such as brown patch.
2. Avoid foot traffic
If you can help it, don’t walk across your lawn frequently in the summer. If your grass is wet, stepping on it can result in soil compaction–leaving grass roots without access to air. Even dry grass should be avoided if possible.
If your lawn doesn’t get enough hydration, usually because of drought conditions, the blades of grass won’t spring back, resulting in permanent damage. We realize this can be hard when you have children and pets playing in the backyard, so as a preventative measure we typically recommend aeration in the fall for lawn compaction.
3. Sharpen mower blades
When your mower blades become dull, they shred the grass. As a result, the tips turn brown from loss of moisture. To prevent grass from fraying, especially in hot summer months, sharpen your blades regularly for a clean cut every time.
4. Mow grass high
The goal of mowing in the summer months is to keep it tall enough for grass roots to be able to reach moisture way down deep in the soil. Setting the mower blade on a high setting also prevents weeds from growing and taking away much-needed hydration. What’s the best blade height during the summer? About 4 inches, but, the height can vary depending on the type of grass. A good rule of thumb is to increase the usual blade height by about 1/2″.
5. Hire a professional to take care of it all
The truth of the matter is a healthy lawn requires special care and attention during every season of the year. We understand that homeowners are busy with jobs, families, hobbies, and so much more — that is why we offer professional lawn services to relieve your schedule of this burden.
Our yearly lawn care program addresses all of your lawn’s specific needs during the winter, spring, summer, and fall. Because it doesn’t take long for the Texas heat to do a number on your turf, the experienced professionals at Gecko Green will perform a number of key services during the summer, including:
